An international team led by researchers from Empa and EPFL has explored how in future aerial robots could process construction materials precisely in the air – an approach with great potential for difficult-to-access locations or work at great heights.
An international team led by researchers from Empa and EPFL has explored how in future aerial robots could process construction materials precisely in the air – an approach with great potential for difficult-to-access locations or work at great heights. The flying robots are not intended to replace existing systems on the ground, but rather to complement them in a targeted manner for repairs or in disaster areas, for instance.
Robotic arms and 3D printing gantries can already be found on construction sites – albeit mostly as heavy, permanently installed systems on the ground. They quickly reach their limits on rough terrain or at great heights. A team led by researchers from the Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics at Empa and EPFL has therefore investigated how aerial robots could be used as autonomous construction platforms in the future. In the cover story of the current issue of Science Robotics, the researchers show the state of the art and the potential of this upcoming technology. The advantage is obvious: Construction drones can reach places that are inaccessible to conventional machines, be it in the mountains, on rooftops, in disaster areas or even on distant planets. They also do not require a fixed construction site, can be deployed in swarms, and therefore offer a high degree of flexibility and ease of scalability. At the same time, they could shorten transportation routes, reduce material consumption and make construction sites safer.
Repairs and Operations in Extreme Situations
Aerial robots are particularly suitable for disaster relief operations – for example, in flooded or destroyed regions where conventional vehicles can no longer get through. Aerial robots could transport building materials and autonomously erect emergency shelters. Their use is also promising for repairs in places that are difficult to access. They could autonomously detect and repair cracks on high-rise facades or bridges without scaffolding. “Existing robotic systems on the ground often weigh several tons, take a long time to set up and have a limited working radius,” explains Yusuf Furkan Kaya, the lead author of the study, from the Sustainability Robotics Laboratory at Empa and EPFL. "Construction drones, on the other hand, are light, mobile and flexible – but so far they only exist at low technology readiness levels. They have yet to be used for industrial purposes."
Read more at Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA)
Image: Test wall at the DroneHub with modular components for experiments with flying construction robots. (Photo Credit: EMPA)
